Are you building a new home with a leading Melbourne Architect and/or builder? Are you wondering how to find a landscape designer who works to the same high quality as they do? Do you want the confidence of knowing that your landscape designer has previous experience working with your builder and can liaise well with them? Would you like to ensure a smooth process for managing the overlap between what an Architect, Builder, Landscape Architect, and Landscaper does?
Over the past 30+ years, we've had the privilege of working with many of Melbourne's finest Architects and builders on wonderful projects for our clients. The end result has been a home and a garden that our clients love and that both organisations can be proud of. That's what we aim for each time.
In this article, we'd like to share a few projects with you where we achieved exactly that outcome. And to give you a few insights into what can go on in the working relationship between builders and landscapers, both good and bad.
When both strive to work together in harmony, the best outcome for you the client is assured. A well-designed, high-quality home with an equally well-designed garden is the goal. As is a smooth journey towards that end.
This holiday home was built during the Covid lockdowns. So there were many challenges for both the builder and ourselves as landscapers.
However, working with the team at Latitude 37 was a joy all the way through the journey despite those challenges.
We had the pleasure of designing and constructing the outdoor space surrounding this delightful holiday home built on the Mornington Peninsula. It was a stress-free experience perhaps made easier by the fact it could not be used much of the time, reducing the pressure on all parties.
One of the things to note about this project was the outstanding level of workmanship and quality of the build. As landscapers, we are sometimes exposed to flaws in new home construction that the homeowners themselves might not even notice but which can affect the work we are trying to do for them.
Inaccurate measurements or any aspects of a building not lining up square can cause major issues for us when working on features of the garden that connect intimately with the home such as decking or paving for example.
One example is when the pillars that support a front porch or rear alfresco dining area are not square to the house, as this can be a real challenge to pave around them. (An error often not noticed until the work commences.)
As we have found on other Latitude 37 projects, this was not the case, and everything about this lovely property was built precisely as per the plans ensuring we could deliver a garden of equal quality.
Flexibility and cooperation make for the best possible working relationship between a builder and a landscaper.
Conversely, the worst possible situation that can develop between a builder and landscaper is what you might call a 'turf war' - where there is disagreement over whose responsibility any particular aspect of the job is. This can also occur when one party claims, rightly or wrongly, that a certain task should be their job when the other party thinks it should be theirs.
A typical example might be the steps leading from the front patio down to the garden path on a sloping block. Should the builder build the steps down to where the path WILL go and so build them before the path is laid or should whoever is laying the path also build the steps up from the path to the home after the path is laid?
Ultimately the client doesn't really care who does it, so long as it is done properly. But this is a classic case where a very good working relationship between the builder and the landscaper is critical to ensuring it is.
When we think of builders who we always have a great working relationship with, one comes immediately to mind. Tim, a director at Emerald Building Services, is a great person who cares a great deal about what is being built and how it is being built.
Naturally therefore we found the renovation works to this Mornington home were done in perfect harmony with our landscaping works. (We can't tell you what a delight it is when you have two companies willing to work with one another to give the client the very best outcome. And what a frustration it is when this is not the case.)
We found working with Tim on this project was easy as always. Any challenges on the project were handled through good communication and cooperation. A classic example was the concreting of the driveway. We originally had this job as part of our scope of works but we saw that it would be better done by Tim at the same time as the concrete steps were getting poured by Emerald's contractors. So we moved the concreting from our responsibility to Tim's crew for a better outcome for the client.
We are always happy to be flexible for our clients when working with builders and it's always great when that willingness is matched by the builder.
As both landscape designers and landscapers, we take an entire project from design through to construction.
With new homes, we are often asked to commence working on the garden design while the house is still being built. (This is smart timing for most clients as it means the garden can be designed and approved and the work started as early as possible after the external elements of the house are completed.)
In order to start working on the garden design, we of course need a copy of the house plans. Now the challenge here is that if there is a significant difference between the house as it was designed and the house as it has been built our garden may not be able to be built as per design.
A typical issue can be when the floor level of the house as built is not true to the floor level on the plans. If this is out by a significant amount it can affect everything from the height of the deck to the depth of the pool to the way the slope of garden beds or paths or other garden elements work.
We are always so pleased when we arrive on site and the floor level is correct to the house plans. Englehart is one of those luxury home builders we can always rely on to build precisely to plan, making our job easier too.
But also it is so much better for the client when the builder thinks ahead to the work the landscaper might be doing and allows for this in their own work. For example, Englehart Homes actually thought ahead on this project and excavated the entire site with our future landscaping works in mind.
What this meant was that there was a very smooth and easy handover of the site from the builder to us as landscapers. Everything just flowed and there were no surprises for us when we arrived on site. This meant we could just get on with creating a fabulous garden complete with a pool that the client could enjoy.
In the end, the client has a beautiful Englehart home and a gorgeous Whyte Gardens garden, the best of both worlds.
When you are building a sophisticated home, it is imperative that the design of the outdoor spaces and garden is done in full and complete consultation with the architect of the home.
It is also critical that everyone involved pays attention to even the minor details. Great attention to detail is often the hallmark of Melbourne's finest builders.
When we think of builders who have that focus on detail, Thomas Archer Homes is one that comes to mind.
In one particular project, this attention to detail really came to the fore.
As shown in the screenshot below this project included a pool. Uniquely the pool butted up directly to the wall of a basement in the house that was directly below the lounge room.
In such a case there needs to be very clear and detailed communication between the builder, the landscaper and the pool company as well. Should any of the details regarding the house be incorrect that could affect whether the pool might leak into the basement or even worse.
When designing the outdoor spaces and garden, including the pool, we needed to be absolutely sure that every "i" was dotted and every "t" was crossed. We knew that when we received answers from Thomas Archer, they were detailed and correct. This meant that all the engineering aspects of the job would be correct and we could proceed with confidence.
The end result was a delightful home with a lovely pool for the client.
Sometimes the way a builder or architect and landscaper/designer work well together can't be pinned down to any specific detail. There's no real example of anything in particular that happened in a project which made it noteworthy. Things on the project just click. There is excellent exchange of ideas and communication that ends up leading to a better outcome than expected.
And sometimes the architect can have ideas about the garden that are drawn from the house itself.
One example of this was a project we worked on with a company called Architest. They recommended us to the client and so we began designing the garden while Architest were designing the renovation of the home.
One of the key things they had thought through was the impact that the renovation of the home would make on the landscape of the garden. So they brought some observations and recommendations to use which were based on these.
As they did so early in the design process, we were able to run with these ideas and found them easy to incorporate into the landscaping work itself.
All in all, it made for a very simple and smooth project with ideas that complemented the renovation nicely and pleased the client. Which in the end is what matters most.
When you work with Melbourne's finest builders, you tend to get a fantastic outcome. But when you work with lesser quality builders the outcome can be a real nightmare not only for us but ultimately for the client.
One of the worst situations is when the builder of the house doesn't really care about anything else outside their scope of works. Their entire focus is only on building the house and they really couldn't care less about anyone else involved in the project or how their work might impact others.
The following example is a classic case in point. It involves a builder who ended up going broke before the house was even finished, (not surprisingly).
Originally we were asked to design the landscaping for this new home in Balwyn North. Typically this area has heavy shale/clay soil which is extremely hard to excavate. Usually, the smart solution is to do all the excavation work required for the landscaping prior to commencing the building of the house.
In this case, the builder didn't allow for this. When we arrived on site ready to commence work we were greeted with the sight below - a narrow gap of approx 500mm between the house and the excavated wall of clay.
Our design had included a path along that side of the house with a retaining wall built to hold back the clay. But to create the path and build the retaining wall, required an excavator to come in and remove the excess soil. However, the gap they had left between the house and the wall of clay was so narrow we could not get in the large excavator that we required to do the job properly. (In retrospect an even better solution would have been for the retaining walls to be built before the house was even commenced but that would have required the builder to allow us on site before them.)
So unfortunately we had to use a small excavator to chip slowly away at the clay without touching the walls of the house. The cost of doing this and further excavations added over $100,000 in costs because of the huge amount of time required to carry out the work.
Then the builder went into liquidation before the project was even completed. As the new builder was even more expensive in the end the landscaping budget was unachievable.
We include this as an example of what can go wrong with a project when your builder does not liaise well with your landscaper like the other projects shown above.
We believe you can choose any of the above-listed builders with confidence knowing that you will not only get a fabulous home but they will liaise well with your landscaper to ensure a smoothly run project that delivers you an equally fabulous garden.
As the above example shows, one key thing the best architects and builders have in common is not only their skill and professionalism but also their ability to communicate. With you and with others involved in their project.
If the above-mentioned builder had simply communicated better with us the whole problem and expense of the retaining wall could have been saved.
If you've ever found yourself dealing with a company and being subjected to poor communication you know how it feels. You feel left in the dark, frustrated at not knowing what is going on. And when you do re-establish communication discovering problems that could have been solved with a quick 2-minute phone call over a week ago is very frustrating. Not to mention potentially expensive.
An open and flowing exchange of communication between your architect/builder and your designer/landscaper is critical to the smooth running of a project. An accurate and timely exchange of information, knowledge shared on why things need to be done the way they are being done, and clear understanding between all parties are all vital.
But also when it comes to choosing a builder, make sure you are comfortable with the level of two-way, free-flowing communication you receive from them before making your final decision. It is a strong indication of how smoothly your new home project will go.
Work with the best - get the best
This article mentions just a few of the many great architects and builders we have worked with over the years. And continue to work with.
But there are many more who are not mentioned here.
We like to think that we bring the same level of professionalism and high standards to our work that they clearly demonstrate with theirs.
We hope this article has given you some insights into how the best architects and builders liaise with landscape designers and landscapers. And some of the challenges that can occur when they don't.
We can say that we will be happy to work with whichever architect or builder you have contracted for your new home project. We will do everything we can to work cooperatively with them to ensure a smooth-running project and a great outcome for you.
If you still have any questions in regards to the relationship between builder and landscaper and how this might affect the outcome of your new home build, please feel free to contact us by phone or email. We will endeavour to answer them as best we can.
What you need to know about landscaping when building a new home
How to calculate an accurate budget for landscaping
How we work with Melbourne's best architects & builders